More than 30 members of the minority community in Bangladesh will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Mr. Modi will spend about half an hour in the city’s iconic Dhakeswari Kali temple and exchange pleasantries with the community’s representatives. However, the members are excited, as for the first time an Indian Prime Minister is visiting the temple.
At least three Dhaka based organisation of the minorities – Bangladesh Puja Udjapon (management) Council, Mahanagar Sorbojonin (for all) Puja Committee and the Hindu-Bauddha-Christian Unity Council – will send their envoys to meet the Prime Minister. While the first two committees are socio-religious in nature, the Council is a socio-political organisation.
Initially, the committee members were unsure about the visit but later they were communicated that a delegation of various minority councils will have an opportunity to meet the Indian Prime Minister. A couple of MPs will also be part of the delegation.
“However, this time we will not hand over any memorandum to the Prime Minister,” said Rana Dasgupta, the general secretary of Hindu-Bauddha-Christian Unity Council. The united front of the Dhaka’s minorities gave a memorandum to the Indian Foreign Minister during her visit.
“But we are happy that an Indian Prime Minister is coming to the temple,” he said. In a country where the space for the minorities is increasingly shrinking, Mr. Modi’s visit to two institutions run by minorities was interpreted as an action in solidarity with the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian community. “Perhaps it was important for Mr.Modi to make a statement. A statement to ensure that the minorities and even a section of the majority community who believe in extending space to every community is shrinking in Bangladesh. By deciding to visit the minority institutions, for the first time, an Indian Prime Minister has just made the statement,” a noted writer of Bangladesh has told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.
Mr. Modi will visit the Ramkrishnn Mission (RKM) and spend 20 minutes with the monks, many of whom know him for nearly half a century since he first interacted with the order. The President of RKM’s internal committee Gaurgopal Saha told The Hindu that the Prime Minister will participate in a special prayer for about 10 minutes, during his short stay.
“From 13 centers of RKM across Bangladesh the followers of the order are invited and will be in the Mission. We are expecting more than 400 followers. Many are coming from the main branch in Belur Math in West Bengal,” Mr. Saha said.
The Prime Minister will call on President of Bangladesh Mohammad Abdul Hamid. He will receive the Liberation War Honour to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee before returning to India. The Prime Minister is also expected to meet the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Begum Khaleda Zia and official leader of the opposition. He may also meet a couple of members of a few relatively small political parties.
A joint statement on Mr. Modi’s visit will be released later in the day.
